Sermon Notes of Pastor Craig Kuhlman's Maundy Thursday's Message on April 13, 2017 "God Incarnate Submits to Our Humanity " [In Maundy Thursday s evening message, "God Incarnate Submits to Our Humanity ", Pastor Craig Kuhlman shows how Jesus submitted His divinity to our humanity during the evening of the Lord s Supper.] Notes: Introduction: The three synoptic gospels are Matthew, Mark and Luke. John s gospel was written between 90-95 AD, which was about 30 years later than the prior three gospels. Now we don t find the Lord s Supper in the Gospel of John. But what we do find is what Jesus meant in what He said throughout His ministry in light of His Incarnation. The synoptic gospels record that three times Jesus asked in His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, Could this cup pass from me? But in the gospel of John, he writes that when Jesus asked this question, He immediately gave His reaction to it, No! It was the very reason I came here. John had a time to process what Jesus had really meant by what He said on so many occasions. What we re going to see tonight is that this is not a Passover service it s a Lord s Supper service. It s interesting to note that the first 500 or 600 years of the early church, they relied more on the Gospel of John and considered it the gospel of Easter. So tonight, we re going to give equal time to both the foot washing service and the Lord s Supper. The Gospels answer four critical questions about life: In Matthew s gospel, we find the theme, how do we face change? In Mark s gospel, we find the theme, how do we face suffering? In Luke s gospel we find the theme, how do we face service? In John s gospel, we find the theme, how do we face joy in relationship? Thursday evening celebration: This service in the early church was not a funeral dirge, but it was a time for joy, a time for celebration to commemorate that Jesus included all mankind in what He had accomplished on the cross our reconciliation and redemption.
This is a part of why we are here tonight is to participate in and experiencing what Jesus accomplished for us and making it real to ourselves. John 13:1-15 (Mirror Bible) 1) Now Jesus having known, before the feast of the Passover, that this was his hour; he knew very well that he would step out of this world into his Father s embrace. He drew much love-energy from his own who would remain still in the world after his departure; He loved them completely. Here Jesus is telling us that He loves us completely. And we ll find in the foot washing ceremony, is that essentially, Jesus submitted His divinity to our humanity. 2) It was supper time and the diabolos already had the heart of Judas Iscariot in sync with his own, which was to betray Jesus. 3) Jesus was fully aware of the fact that his Father has given all things into his hands; he knew that he came from God and that his destiny was to return face to face with God. Here we see the tremendous hope and promise of reconciliation. And when Jesus talks about all things, He means all things in heaven and on earth. So Jesus is not just speaking to the disciples but to all of us that we need to extend humility to all that we come in contact with. We need to include the hope of the Incarnation message in our mission field. When Jesus returned to the Father, His work wasn t finished. Rather, He sent the Holy Spirit to all of us forever. This is part of the celebration that we have tonight. 4) So got up from the table and took off his outer garments and wrapped a towel around him. In taking off His outer garments, Jesus exhibit extreme humility in the Jewish culture. Jesus was saying, in essence, this is an intimate time that we have together, that He was submitting himself to each of one of His disciples. 5) He then poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of his disciples and dried them with the towel around his waist. This is an intimate and joyous occasion between Jesus and His disciples. Jesus was showing them how much He loved them. Jesus was also encouraging them to love not only Him, but the whole world. 6) When he came to Simon Peter, Peter protested saying, Lord do you want to wash my feet? 7) Jesus answered, You might not appreciate it now but afterward you will understand the significance of what I am doing! Peter was adamantly protesting what Jesus was about to do for him, because he knew that Jesus was the Messiah. But Jesus told Peter that, looking back, he would understand what this all means. 2
3 Now each of us today, in looking back at this, can understand the significance of what Jesus was doing and what it means tonight as we participate in the foot washing. 8) Peter refused and said, I will never allow you to wash my feet! And Jesus replied, If I do not wash you then you have no participation with me. 9) Then Peter said, Lord, not only my feet but also my hands and head! Peter s perception then changed and he went his typical over-the-top reaction. 10) But Jesus answered, He that has already taken a bath only needs to wash his feet for he is completely clean. And you are already clean, yet not everyone one of you. 11) For Jesus knew who would betray him that is why he said, you are not all equally clean. This is considered by some as the imagery of baptism. Now we know that baptism doesn t lock in our salvation. It s a representation of what already had been done and an acknowledgment of our participation with Jesus. So baptism is one of the sacraments that we celebrate. It s obvious that Judas had a tough week, as diabolos, Satan, got into his mind. Now this didn t mean that Jesus didn t love Judas less than He loved all His disciples, even though He knew that Judas was planning to betray Him. God knew from the beginning of time that Jesus would be sacrificed on the cross. In Revelation, we re told that the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). 12) So when he was done he put his robe back on again and reclined at the table and asked them, Do you understand what I just did? So we ask ourselves, tonight, do we understand what Jesus just did? Jesus submitted His divinity to our humanity. 13) You call me your Instructor and Lord and its good, for so I am; 14) If I, your teacher and Lord have washed your feet; you too ought to wash one another s feet. 15) For I have demonstrated an example for you to mirror. We are about ready to participate in that ceremony. Quote from William Paul Young: But first pastor Craig read a section (page 47) from the book, Lies We Believe about God by William Paul Young, who is also the author of The Shack, which is a recently released movie. Submission can be a beautiful word of relationship or a terrifying word of power and control. God is relational and therefore submits, because God s nature is other-centered in self-giving love.
Preparation comments: One of the many beautiful aspects of the Trinity is that submission has always been within the being of the Triune God, person to person to person, face to face to face. Theirs is a divine dance of mutuality in which no person is diminished or absorbed. It is true submission in which the one, the other is known and respected. The very idea that God is submissive maybe difficult for some folks and may even sound disparaging as if it were driving our Holy God down to the level of human beings. But how often in my life has God whispered, Let me do this one, because you make so many dumb choices. I think it would be better for us all if I take over. Even though I would often prefer that God would make my decisions for me, God refuses. Instead, God submits to the decisions I make, climbs into them and begins to craft something living, and useful and good. Even the worst of my ignorant blunders, even from my overt choices, God guides me. Love doesn t protect me from the consequences from my choices but it also doesn t abandon me either. Jesus Christ, Creator and Sustainer of all things, who has all things in Him, submitted His divinity to our humanity. And now we have an opportunity to participate in that joyful acknowledgement of what He did for us. Foot Washing Service 4 Preparation for the Lord s Supper Service: Now, the gospel of John doesn t have a Lord s Supper segment in it. But John does share the meaning of the Lord s Supper in what s called the Living Bread discourse. John 6:51-58 (Mirror Bible) 51) I am the living bread, I stepped out of the heavenly realm into this earth suit, in the incarnation, so that everyone may feast on the idea of their true incarnate identity mirrored in me and discover life of the ages incarnate in them! The bread that I will give is my own flesh; it will translate into life for the entire cosmos! 52) This brought about a war of words among the Jews! How can this man give us human flesh to eat? Because of these statements by Jesus, the early church Christians were persecuted because, first of all, they were thought of as cannibals. They were also accused of having incestuous relationships among themselves.
Now what Jesus was showing with the Lord s Supper was indicative of what the pagans were doing with their gods. At that time, the practice was that when there was a sacrifice, a portion of the sacrifice went to the god, and a portion went to the high priest and the rest to the people. The pagans believed that when they offered the sacrifice to their god, then the god was actually then inhabiting them and was giving them eternal life. So here, what Jesus is saying to the crowd, kind of made sense to them, because of their current practices and beliefs even though it doesn t make sense to us today. 53) Amen, amen, I say unto you that you have no real life in yourselves until you consume the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood. So Jesus is transforming some of the beliefs of the times by saying that He is only One who gives life. Remember that the blood was an affront to the Jewish culture because Deuteronomy tells us that the blood gives life, and therefore you do not eat the blood. (Deut. 12:23) And what was forbidden, Jesus now tells them to drink His blood. They couldn t believe what Jesus was asking them to do. 54) To assimilate my flesh and absorb my blood to digest me is to echo the life of the ages and to be co-risen with me in the final conclusion of my work of redemption. So once again, redemption, reconciliation is offered to all humanity. Jesus is sharing with the people that in Him, it is finished. 55) My flesh is food in its truest form and my blood is drink in its truest form. 56) Eating my flesh and drinking my blood celebrates our seamless union you in me and I in you because you won t find you until you find me! 57a) As the loving Father has sent me and also sustains me so will I sustain the one eating me. 57b) I live through my Father just like my daily food sustains me, so his life permanently resides in me now you may also continually and habitually feast on me and live through me! So Jesus is telling those various cultures that their practices are not where it s at, but rather He, Jesus, is where it s at. 58) This is the bread that stepped down out of the heavenly sphere there is no comparison with the manna your fathers received from heaven they ate and they died now feast on me and celebrate the life of the ages. The Lord s Supper: So at this time the congregation is going to participate in the Lord s Supper. Please come down the center aisle to partake of the elements. Please take the bread and wine back to your seats, and when everyone is served, we ll take them together. Before we take the elements, let s stand and read out loud together this passage from 1 Corinthians 11:23-25. 5
6 1 Corinthians 11:23, Let me remind you then what we are actually celebrating in our fellowship meal: The night in which the Lord Jesus was betrayed, he took bread 24) and gave thanks; breaking the bread into portions, he said, Realize your association with my death, every time you eat, remember my body that was broken for you! The members partook of the bread together. 25) He did exactly the same with the cup after supper and said, This cup holds the wine of the New Covenant in my blood; you celebrate me every time you drink this with understanding! The members partook of the wine or grape juice together. Closing Prayer: Thank you our great heavenly Father for your limitless and your amazing love that you have for each and every one of us. We thank you for sending Your Son Jesus to this earth to redeem all of us to you Lord. We thank you. And also now we thank you Lord Jesus for showing us how to live humble lives and to live out Your Godly love that You showed us through many of Your examples and especially tonight, You showed us Lord as You washed the disciples feet in humility and gave honor to humanity by doing that as our God Incarnate. And You asked us to treat others as You have treated us. And so we thank You for that. And also Lord Jesus, we thank You for following the will of the Father in Your life as You went to the cross to redeem us. And now You also ask us to follow the will of the Father in our lives. We just thank you for that incredible example You gave us and then You offered us the coming of the Holy Spirit. And on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit did come. And so we thank You Holy Spirit for giving us the love of God in our hearts. And we thank You for leading, guiding and directing us. So we offer this prayer to You, to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. We thank You for all Your blessings. And we ask it all now through Jesus Christ. Amen.